Hopper



Dec. 19, 1944. C, R SMH 2,365,441

HOPPER Filed lNov. 7, 1942 Patented Dec. 19, 1944 UNITED STATES =PATENT. FFICIE';

, norma charles R. smith, Chicago, n1. l Application November 7, 1942, serial Ns. 464,913

4 Claims. (Cl. S7-136) This invention relates to improvements in buckets or hoppers generally used by builders, excavators, roofers, and the like, and more particularly to hoisting holopers. The present application is a continuation-impart of my application Serial No. 343,865, filed July 3, 1940, which issued December 15, 1942, as Pat. No. 2,305,202.

One object is to provide a hopper having novel trip means for discharging the load. A further object is to provide a self-loading type of hopper which loads by being drawn through or into the material to be loaded, the power for impelling the hopper into or through the material being provided by the hoisting mechanism used to raise and lower the hopper.

A further object is to provide a hopper designed to carry large or small loads while requiring but little attention or effort on the part of the operator, this being due to the particular structure of the hopper.

With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter fully described, pointed out in the claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawing which forms a part of this patent, and in which- Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation and partly in vertical section through a hopper constructed according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan View of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of` a slightly modified form of hopper. l

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view through the.

hopper of Fig. 3 taken on the line 4--4 thereof.

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional View through Fig. 3 at right angles to Fig. 4, taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 3. v

Fig. 6 is a view in elevational perspective of a further modified form of hopper of the selfloading type, and,

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary view of another type of hopper.

Like reference 'characters denote corresponding parts throughout.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, the hopper includes the walls I, I opposite each other and the Walls 2, 2 opposite each other, the upper ends of said walls forming the mouth being reinforced by abead 3. The walls 2; 2 are tapered downwardly from a point 4 to form a chute 5 having an oblong discharge end or mouth 6 having reinforcement 1 that carries hingepin s for the gravity or drop door 9 that in raised position closes the mouth of the chute, the closed position of said door being shown in full lines and in open position in dotted lines in Fig. 1,

Carried by the reinforcement l is the hingepin vIEB to which the lever II `is operatively secured, said lever having a jaw I2 that extends below the forward edge of said door 9 to support the same in closed position, the forward end of said door extending` slightly beyond the pin' Ill, said lever being downturned at substantially a ninety degree angle near its free outer end. In the raised or dotted line position of the lever Il it has released the door 9 and the same has dropped through gravity or the weight ofthe load into open position discharging the load. The lever is adapted to be readily raised by the operator manually when it is desired to discharge the load.

The free end of the lever always extends beyond the lower end of the hopper and in normal door-engaging position, as shown in full lines in Fig. l, when coming in contact with an object as when the hopper is lowered upon a roof or other surface will through contact with same be moved into disengaged dotted line position thus permitting the door 9 to drop through gravity or the weight of the load into open position discharging the load. Normally the weight of the load or even the weight of the door 9 will keep the lever II releasably in full line door-engaging position. The hopper is provided with a handle I5 having a perforation lil therein tov receive a hook to permit raising or lowering.

Referring now to Figs. 3 to 5 inclusive the hopper includes the walls I, l and 2, 2, the upper ends `of said walls forming the mouth having bead 3. The walls 2, 2 are tapered downwardly to form a chute 5 having a discharge end (i carrying hingepin 8 for the gravity door 9 that in raised position closes the mouth of the chute, the closed position of said door being shown in Figs. 4 and 5, its open position being similar to that shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

Carried by the discharge end of the chute is the hingepin ID to which a, lever IIa is secured, said lever having a jaw I2I that extends below the forward edge of said door 9 to support the same in closed position, the forward end of said door extending slightly beyond the pin I0, the forward end of said lever being normally supported in a bent portion or seat formed in a stout spring I3 secured to a reinforcing band I4 at the lower end of the walls l, I. In this type of lever the same will not release as the hopper is disposed upon the ground but is intended only for manual operation by the operator pushing tended to form a scoop having the sides 2U', 2|',

24', the topmost ends of said walls being connected by a reinforcing band 25 which band is strengthened across the face 23 by a tubular reinforcement 26.

The reinforcement 26 is connected to thereinforcing band 22 by the handle 21 extending longitudinally of the wall 23 but in spaced rela-.

tion thereto. A draft bar 28 spanning the mouth of the chute and of the scoop is provided with a depending loop 29a through which the -hook 29 extends for engagement with the draft bar, said hook 29 being secured to one end of the cable 30 that runs to the power unit or hoist (not shown), said cable being adapted to releasably engage the cuneate head 3| formed upon or secured to the handle 21 intermediate its ends, the apex of said head being directed toward the lower end of the hopper.

The hopper formed by the several walls and including the chute having the tapered walls 23, 24 is in most respects like the hopper previously described, the chute being identical with the chute 5 and being provided with a door and manually releasable latch or lever therefor the same las lever or latch II normally engaged by a like spring I3. To fill the hopper automatically it is disposed upon its side wall 24 and scoop wall 24 as shown, with the hook 29 passing through the depending loop 29a and engaging the draft bar 28, said cable 30 passing about the left wing or side of the head 3|, this wing being the left wing to the operator who stands adjacent the side Wall or immediately in back of the hopper, with four lingers of his right hand engaging the handle 21 and his thumb gently pressing upon the cable to prevent it from slipping free of the head 3|. By means 0f the handle 21 the operator so inclines or directs the hopper that a pull upon the cable 30 will hold it against the head 3| and handle 21 at their junction and this pull will impel the hopper, scoop-end foremost, into the material to be loaded which will pass through the scoop into the hopper body lling the same. When lled the operator resoy moves his thumb from the cable and maneuvers the hopper to permit the cable to leave the head 3|, the cable then raising the scoop end of the hopper to upright position and thereafter raising the hopper to the elevation desired.

But the slightest change inV direction of the hopper by means of its handle 21 will disengage the cable from the head 3|. The hopper load is discharged manually as previously described With relation to the hopper 5. Referring now to Fig. '1 the mouth of the hopper formed by the walls 32, 33, 34, 35 is provided with a handle 36 having its ends secured to ears 31 secured to the walls 32, 34.

What is claimed is:

1., A hopper having an open forward end, a draft bar in said end, a handle connecting the ends of the hopper, a cuneate head carried by said handle with its narrow end disposed rearwardly, and a cable connected to said draft bar for passage over the narrow end of said head.

2. A hopper rhaving a scoop-shaped end, a draft bar in said end, a handle extending from said end rearwardly, a cuneate head carried by said handle, and a cable connected to said draft bar for passage about said head and over said handle, the hopper being maneuverable bymeans of said handle to cause disengagement of said cable from said head.

3. In a hopper having an open forward end, a draft bar in said end, a loop carried by said draft bar, a handle connecting the ends of said hopper, an angular head carried by said handle with a narrow end disposed rearwardly, a hook extending through said loop engaging said draft bar, and a cable connected to said hook for passage about said head and over said handle for moving the hopper forwardly upon the ground, the hopper being maneuverable by means of said handle to cause disengagement of said cable from said head to dispose the hopper upright and raise Same.

' hopper upon the ground, the hopper being maneuverable by means of said handle as a guide and to cause disengagement of said cable from said head to dispose the hopper in a second operative position and for lifting same.

CHARLES R. SMITH. 

